March 2, 2006 — A lease agreement between the V.I. government and V.I. Recycling Co. was held up in the Finance Committee Thursday – the only one of six others not approved.
Senators said they were concerned about approving the lease because one of the lessees, Jimez Ashby, currently owes the government money for the operation of the Clinton Phipps Racetrack on St. Thomas.
Ashby said his father's company, New Image Racing, had an agreement with Housing, Parks, and Recreation for the operation of the track, but has not received a statement from the department listing any outstanding obligations.
Ashby's other company, A-9 Trucking, also has a lease with the government for the operation of a tire shredder at the Bovoni Landfill on St. Thomas, while V.I. Recycling Co. has a $1.7 million contract with the government for the disposal of scrap metal at the Anguilla landfill on St. Croix.
However, senators voted to hold the bill in committee until the matter was resolved.
In other action, senators unanimously approved the other lease agreements up for consideration Thursday. These include:
–a lease agreement between the government and K-9's On Patrol Service ($48,000 per year).
–a lease agreement between the government and Jeffrey P. Bryan doing business as J.B. Head and Machine Shop ($7,902 per year).
–a lease agreement between the government and Island Tri-Corp. ($15,661.20 per year).
–a lease agreement between the government and Naomi Archibald doing business as N'Kida Fashion ($4,796.25 per year).
–a lease agreement between the government and Sam and Jam Inc. doing business as Coconuts Bar and Grill ($6,000 per year).
–a lease agreement between the government and Cash Mufflers Inc. ($13,840 per year).
Present at Thursday's meeting were Sens. Lorraine L. Berry, Roosevelt C. David, Liston Davis, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, Pedro "Pete" Encarnacion, Juan Figueroa-Serville, Louis P. Hill, Neville James, Norman Jn Baptiste, Shawn-Michael Malone, Usie R. Richards, Ronald E. Russell, and Celestino A. White Sr.
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